Congrats are in order! On Saturday, Glee alum Lea Michele took to Instagram to share some exciting news: boyfriend Zandy Reich popped the question, and she said yes. The couple, who went public with their laid-back love last summer, reportedly “couldn’t be happier” to officially kick off their life together.
And, hey, it doesn’t hurt that Michele gets to do so with some stunning bling on her ring finger. According to E! News, Reich proposed with a 4-carat elongated, radiant-cut diamond ring. Even sweeter? He collaborated with The Jewelers of Las Vegas’ Leor Yerushalmi to create a custom design for the sparkler.
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Reich, president of the clothing brand AYR, came into Michele’s life years before they began dating. “They’ve been friends for a long time, a few years. Things turned romantic recently and they’re dating now,” a source told People in July 2017, right around the time Reich and Michele were first photographed holding hands.
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In the time since, Reich has gotten a vote of confidence from someone very near and dear to Michele: her Glee and Scream Queens boss, Ryan Murphy.
“Ryan is my family — he’s one of the greatest friends that I have in the world. When my boyfriend got the seal of approval from Ryan Murphy, that was it. Yeah, my parents, yeah, friends, whatever. But Ryan Murphy, it’s a done deal — it sealed the deal,” Michele told Giuliana Rancic in September 2017 on E!‘s live coverage from the red carpet at the Emmy Awards.
Michele’s joy must be all the more meaningful because she’s recently come through unimaginable pain. In July 2013, Cory Monteith, Michele’s Glee costar and boyfriend of one year, was found dead at the age of 30 in a Vancouver hotel room. The cause of death was determined to be a drug overdose.
Although Michele eventually found the strength to move on, the actor still carries Monteith’s memory with her in a very tangible way: tattoos. Like her Glee character, Michele sports a small tattoo on her derriere that bears the name of Monteith’s character, Finn. In April 2016, the star shared another ink tribute to her late boyfriend, revealing a tiny No. 5 on the side of her ribcage — a nod to Finn’s football jersey number.
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So sweet! It’s lovely that Michele found a way to honor Monteith and fully embrace living (and falling in love again) at the same time.
More: 12 Ways Lea Michele & Idina Menzel Are Basically the Same Person
Her engagement isn’t the only way Michele’s life is looking up, either. On April 9, she and fellow Glee alumnus Darren Criss announced they’re reuniting for a co-headlining tour. Named the LM/DC tour, the musical experience (think Broadway tunes, tracks from their solo albums and Glee favorites) will start on May 30 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Sounds like a super-fun and busy time for Michele, but we have no doubt she’ll manage to squeeze some wedding planning in there too.
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